# Cuban cigars how long are they aged before shipped?



## luckybandit (Jul 9, 2006)

Just a question and i used search to try and find this first. I read on the forum how everyone likes to age their cigars for a few years or whatever before smoking them. The question is how long does does the factory age the tobacco before it is rolled and boxed? If the box say for example nov 05 how old are these cigars. I read on nc cigars that they are aged three years or five years, what about isom's? Or are they shipped the day after they are rolled?

Just looking for somemore insight i truly enjoy smoking them much more than saving them. I've been thru with baseball cards for years. But they do look pretty in my glass top Humi


bandit


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## pistol (Mar 23, 2006)

luckybandit said:


> Just a question and i used search to try and find this first. I read on the forum how everyone likes to age their cigars for a few years or whatever before smoking them. The question is how long does does the factory age the tobacco before it is rolled and boxed? If the box say for example nov 05 how old are these cigars. I read on nc cigars that they are aged three years or five years, what about isom's? Or are they shipped the day after they are rolled?
> 
> Just looking for somemore insight i truly enjoy smoking them much more than saving them. I've been thru with baseball cards for years. But they do look pretty in my glass top Humi
> 
> bandit


it depends on the cigar, very few cigars are aged for any significant amount of time after they've been rolled before being shipped. When most NC cigars have been aged 3-5 years, they are just talking about the tobacco before they've been rolled. That's why cigars that have age on them post rolling tend to be harder/more expensive to come by. *FOGs* correct me if I'm wrong!


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## Beagle Boy (Jul 26, 2006)

There is very little ageing after the tobacco is cured – that's part of the reason that most refer to a sick period with ISOM sticks (many won't touch until 2 years after box code)


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

luckybandit said:


> Just a question and i used search to try and find this first.
> *IHT - good job.*
> I read on the forum how everyone likes to age their cigars for a few years or whatever before smoking them. The question is how long does does the factory age the tobacco before it is rolled and boxed?
> *IHT - i hear they (cuba) are now starting to age their tobacco a couple of years, but in the past they did not, except maybe for some select special cigars.
> ...


reply in the quote.


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## BP22 (Apr 13, 2006)

IHT said:


> reply in the quote.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

Unless it is a Revisado (sp), where the box was reinspected in Cuba (which could be a couple of years apart on the inspection), the boxes don't sit around in Cuba. I don't blame Habanos for trying to get them out the door as soon as possible and let the distributor age them.


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## Corona Gigante-cl (Sep 8, 2005)

I understand Cubans don't age their cigars and look at you cross-eyed if you ask for old ones. Aging cigars was a British thing.


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## Baric (Jun 14, 2006)

:tpd: Go Britain! Its true that many British distributors used to keep cigars aging for their regular customers who would bulk buy their cigars. also, Habanos tends not to age its gars as evident on the box codes of cigars. however as has been rightly said, they are, due to market demand, introducing some aged cigars to their stock.


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## j6ppc (Jun 5, 2006)

Most have little to no age post rolling when shipped as others have noted.

I'm seeing a lot of '05 production these days.

The age of the tobacco in the cgars is usually 1-5 years IIRC.
Some vendors have aged cigars available @ a premium - many here just buy more than they smoke which results in having some self aged after a few years.

Bests

Jon


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## donp (Mar 5, 2006)

I am rejuvenating this thread and quote below because I have been wondering about this. I did a search before posting a similar question. The question came up for me because of recent observations of boxes I have gotten recently. The smell of the smokes have been intoxicating, reminding me of certain pipe tobaccos; with a youthful sweetness, and fruity smell that is absolutely delicious. After having spent so much time on the NC side, and not experiencing the smells and tastes as I have with cuban smokes, I have been wondering why this is, and how the cuban smokes can smell this way. The questions and response by IHT hits the nail on the head for me, and I appreciate it. I had suspected as much but my newbieness couldn't provide me with certainty about it. A good post and a damned good response to the question IMO.
Thanks!



>>Originally Posted by luckybandit 
Just a question and i used search to try and find this first. 
IHT - good job.
I read on the forum how everyone likes to age their cigars for a few years or whatever before smoking them. The question is how long does does the factory age the tobacco before it is rolled and boxed? 
IHT - i hear they (cuba) are now starting to age their tobacco a couple of years, but in the past they did not, except maybe for some select special cigars.
after they're rolled, they may sit in a room (the name of which i've forgotten) where they sit for up to 3 months, curing/acclimating, before they are boxed. they are stamped before they are put in cases and shipped.
If the box say for example nov 05 how old are these cigars. 
IHT - most likely they were rolled in the spring of that year. they have two growing seasons, if i remember correctly. and just because they were rolled and then cured for 3 months, they could still sit there a little longer, waiting for a demand in that cigar from a specific region of the world.
I read on nc cigars that they are aged three years or five years, what about isom's? Or are they shipped the day after they are rolled?
IHT - i think my replies above answer these to the best of my knowledge, but i could still be wrong. a long time ago i read how it's done by someone who use to travel over there and watch it (the process) in action.
NCs need that much age cuz they'd probably make your taste buds explode from the harshness... you still need to age those fuggers for a few more years before they're smokeable (my opinion though).
most people don't like to smoke cubans before they're 3-5 yrs old, but there are a few cuban cigars that people love fresh (ryj cazadores/psd4).<<


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## j6ppc (Jun 5, 2006)

Thanks for reviving this.
Also even the '06 habanos seem to be smoking pretty well even when young so possibly due to better aging pre roll.


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## thebiglebowski (Dec 19, 2005)

donp and IHT - high five and much success!


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## raisin (Dec 3, 2005)

Beagle Boy said:


> There is very little ageing after the tobacco is cured - that's part of the reason that most refer to a sick period with ISOM sticks (many won't touch until 2 years after box code)


Actually, the "sick" period is usually attributed to the moisture added during the rolling process inducing further fermentation "in situ". The resulting off taste is a product of the fermentation by-products, particularily ammonia.


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## Legends of the Playground (Sep 29, 2006)

I just read somewhere that Sir Winston's are aged for 3 years before release.


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